Friday, July 29, 2011

Time to Pass the President’s Plan

The President is our titular leader. And if ever leadership was needed, it is now on the crisis presented by our national debt and our annual deficit spending. I think it’s time to consider his plan.

First, we need to look at his plan for dealing with deficit spending in the current year’s budget. Oh, he hasn’t put one on paper for us to consider. In fact, we haven’t had a budget for over two years! Forget that idea.

Second, we need to look at his plan for dealing with getting the national debt under control. Oh, he’s not put one on paper for us to consider. Forget that idea, too.

Mr. President, platitudes and vague generalities cannot be voted on. The “devil is in the details,” and you’ve offered none. And, Mr. President, while you may want to criticize the plan put down on paper by Republicans and actually approved by a bi-partisan vote, at least they “put up,” as the old saying goes. And, as that saying goes, those who don’t “put up,” need to “shut up.” And now, Mr. President, it is time for you to “shut up” because you haven’t put anything up that America can read or Congress can vote on.

I know those words sound harsh, but I can’t really think of a nicer, more accurate and succinct way of saying what needs to be said. Does our President really think we Americans are so dumb that when he accuses Republicans of being intransigent about not having tax increases that we don’t see that he’s equally intransigent about having tax increases? It’s fine, Mr. President, to criticize one side for what they are intransigent about; it’s quite another to accuse them of being intransigent when you, too, are intransigent. I, for one, don’t want to hear that tired old doublespeak anymore.

And, Mr. President, in the absence of your own written plan, are you really so arrogant and imperialistic as to veto a plan that would pass the U.S. House and Senate? Such a plan would have to have bipartisan support, but you would exalt your nonexistent plan over one that exists and has bipartisan approval. So, in the absence of anything specific, please be quiet, and let the folks who actually have to vote on a plan do their work without your interference. You’ve had your time to shine, and you’ve let it get pretty dark.

It’s time, Mr. President, to give the American people a break; we’ve had enough of your kind of change. We didn’t know the “change” you promised also meant having a President who could only criticize but have no specific plan of his own to present to the American people and to Congress. That was a change we sure didn’t need.